Home features through the years have changed with style and technology advancements. Some features have always been a part of the home, while other more strange things have become obsolete.
In the past, some homes had 'Sleeping porches,' which were half inside and half outside. These porches were used as a bedroom for people with health problems and could be used as a deck or balcony enclosed with screens or glass.
Metal plates used to be found on homes that were built with brick. These cast iron plates were usually shaped in an 'S' and 'X' or a star shape. They were wall anchor plates that prevented the bricks from bowing out or collapsing.
There are still some homes that use oil heat. In order to warm up your home, you'd need a big oil tank. While this sounds unhealthy, oil heat was an efficient way to heat your whole house, even if the tanks occasionally leaked.
Another strange feature that might still be in some homes was 'Dutch Doors.' These doors were popular with 18th-century Dutch settlers. It was basically a door that was split in two horizontally. The homeowner would open the top of the door to let the sun and air through without letting animals in the home.
Other interesting features were large telephones situated in a specialized location in the home. Also, knob and tube wiring was a standardized way of wiring from the 1880s to the 1930s, and this system was very intricate.
While homes have changed over the years, plenty of homes still have these strange and obsolete items in them to this day. Perhaps the things we find normal today will become strange items for future generations!
